Cato

[quote name='Rich' timestamp='1489351213' post='3256302'] [b]The Pilot[/b], Bowerhill, Melksham SN12 6TA. Avoid like the plague. My band played there last night, not the first time but certainly the last. I'm out of action bass-wise at the moment but went along to provide BVs (and moral support for my dep, who did a superb job). We played the usual 2x45mins, as on the other occasions we've played there, playing to a virtually empty pub apart from a couple of scuzzy pissheads and a group of cackling superannuated chavettes. Every song met with total indifference. Started packing up and the landlady (I use the term 'lady' in its loosest possible sense) threw a total wobbler. She said that we were supposed to be playing till midnight and said that if we didn't do so, she would not pay us a bean. So we set up again and carried on playing till witching hour. When our drummer went to see about cash after we'd cleared up, she tore into him again. She said that we had agreed to play from 9:30 to 12:00 with a ½ hour break (utter bollocks #1). She claimed that we had played that long last time we were there (utter bollocks #2) and that was their normal terms (not when we've played there before, it wasn't). She then said that even our first set was only 35 minutes (utter bollocks #3), and she was not prepared to pay us the full amount, and shorted us by 50 quid. She also cancelled our future bookings, which is fine because after that lot we'd have done it anyway. And to put the old tin lid on it, as our drummer was leaving some arsehole in the other bar piped up and told him to “f*** off out the pub”. So there you go. The Pilot in Melksham. The ideal place to play if you like being ignored by chavs and abused by bolshy jumped-up barmaids & pissed-up wifebeaters. Personally, I hope the f***ing place burns to the ground. [/quote] Sounds like a 'character building' experience.

Definitely Ritter. Some of his stuff wouldn't look out of place in an art gallery and I can imagine a time when even non bassists may wish to collect his work, purely in the context of its aesthetic appeal.

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1489261172' post='3255611'] Hope the link works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skVMVtnBE7Y I'm posting it to give an example of what I mean by US Midwest Bar Band. We are not a pro band by any means. We are an amateur band (11 years and going strong) that just happens to work a lot. Good people, gigging , making money and most of all having fun. Blue [/quote] Enjoyed that, cheers for sharing. There's actually a few Maple Road vids in the links on youtube beneath the clip, including an 18 minute demo reel which at one point has you up front and centre playing what looks like a rather snazzy T bird style bass on All Along the Watch Tower, not an invisible bear in sight.

Apparently Mr Sheeran now has 16 songs in the UK top 20. He's basically broken the charts.

[quote name='kristo' timestamp='1489094327' post='3254410'] I'm quite lucky in that Ed is very good friends with my wife's brother, so I've got to see him a lot. He used to play party's at the in-laws place where he would basically play hip hop covers with just an acoustic and a loop pedal. Even then (he was probably 15) he had something a bit special. Whilst not liking all the stuff he does now I think he's very talented and a nice fella with it. [/quote] There's no doubting the guy's talent. And I would have loved to have seen one of those early hip hop sets, I honestly think that's the stuff that puts him head and shoulders above all the other 'sensitive guys with acoustic guitars' who seem so popular at the moment.

There are two Ed Sheerans. The Balladeer who's stuff I'm not so keen on... http://youtu.be/UAWcs5H-qgQ And the hip hop cross over guy I quite like. http://youtu.be/ZXvzzTICvJs

[quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1489075540' post='3254209'] That 2-Pac dude had a lot of good stuff... [/quote] Golden age of Death Row records, when they had all the best producers/creators in the genre making tracks for their artists. Speaking of which. http://youtu.be/1plPyJdXKIY

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1489067005' post='3254108'] I think all of the vintage modified precision basses have gone out of production now. I have a standard squier VM p bass i got off here which is great but according to web site they only do VM in jazz, PJ and fretless now. [/quote] I'm not sure the website shows the full range of models currently in production. These have been serious issues with the Fender website for months and there are certainly current models missing from the Fender bass section of the site.

Get a second hand squier. Because they have the same dimensions as full blooded fenders on things like the pickups amd bridge it makes it them that much easier to mod as most of time replacement parts will drop straight in with no need for additional drilling or routing.

I have wondered if I have some sort of psychological block. I can play the guitar part and sing 'All Apologies' by Nirvana no problems at all. If I try to do the same on bass (playing the guitar part), even if I use a pick like I do with guitar I really struggle. As to playing the actual bassline and singing, even though its much simpler than the guitar part, that gives me real problems.

If it sounds half as good is it looks, then it's going to be a very special instrument indeed.

Bit of Cube. http://youtu.be/h4UqMyldS7Q http://youtu.be/WBGj19EgCDM I was going to post some stuff from Guru's seminal Jazzmataz album,, particularly 'le bien, le mal' with French rapper MC Solaar, but the songs I wanted appear to have been taken off youtube. Well worth checking out if you can find a copy or stream.

[quote name='fftc' timestamp='1489001743' post='3253669'] Funny that, because I've always thought they were pretty terrible, relative to their other productions. The 'sound like' series with Bea and Matt, and the Guitar paradiso one with Danish Pete and Mick (not that one) Taylor are excellent. Something about the chemistry between Nathan and Lee just not being there. [/quote] I think they've improved a bit recently, it's not quite the Top Gear for guitars that the Chappers and The Captain vids evolved into, but it's getting there.

The trick is not to think about playing. I can do it easily playing chords and even counter melodies on guitar, but I have real difficulties singing whilst playing even simple root note basslines.

Bit of British. http://youtu.be/l3XPYj6yWHA http://youtu.be/6uSa5tbEwYk http://youtu.be/dFOErVWlsxg http://youtu.be/FyodeHtVvkA

[quote name='ROConnell' timestamp='1488878058' post='3252503'] Yes! What a bassline, great artist too. Staying with the Kendrick Lamar vibes, check out this live performance of 'i'! Awesome, great drummer too. [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bUUJbKMyzI[/media] [/quote] Superb performance.

[quote name='dyerseve' timestamp='1488835915' post='3252299'] Try D'angelo's album Voodoo which features the rather talented Pino Paladino! His latest album is also exceptional: http://youtu.be/lZoxdPGu_4E [/quote] Love a bit of D'Angelo

OK, back sooner than I thought, but how could I have neglected this, from one of my favourite albums of the last couple of years (also contains rap language and the obligatory scantily clad buxom wenches). http://youtu.be/hRK7PVJFbS8

Contains rap language. http://youtu.be/-hIjgofcuWU http://youtu.be/FWOsbGP5Ox4 I'll let someone else chip in, but I'm sure I'll be back...

http://youtu.be/JhqyZeUlE8U

I quite like the holes. Not to keen on the fire damaged finish though.

[quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1488741727' post='3251461'] One of my all time favourites! [/quote] Yep. One of the only vintage basses I've ever lusted after.

I was quite impressed with my brother-in-law's harley benton acoustic but I don't think you'd be able to hear it acoustically in a live situation with even one unplugged acoustic guitar and certainly not against an accordion.

[quote name='RhysP' timestamp='1488659453' post='3250920'] I've always loved the Kramer headstock too, one of my favourites. [/quote] It's a minimalist classic. Nice basses too, I came within a whisker of buying one in the early 90s.

Dinosaur Jr. http://youtu.be/XelDCDRnboE http://youtu.be/ybExfDHg1i0 And quite possibly the best song I've ever heard. http://youtu.be/pxLpEX2bt8w